Julian N. Acosta, MD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Falcone Lab in Yale’s Department of Neurology, has won the Mordecai Y.T. Globus New Investigator Award at the International Stroke Conference 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is one of twelve leading scientists from around the world who will be formally recognized at the Conference for their outstanding contributions to stroke research.
Regarded as one of the most important recognitions for research trainees working in stroke, “This award recognizes Dr. Globus’ major contributions to research in cerebrovascular disease and his outstanding contributions to the elucidation of the role of neurotransmitters in ischemia and trauma; the interactions among multiple neurotransmitters; mechanisms of hypothermic neuroprotection; and the role of oxygen radical mechanisms and nitric oxide in brain injury,” according to the American Heart Association’s announcement of Dr. Acosta’s award.
The award honors Dr. Acosta’s work, “Observed and Genomic Life’s Simple 7 Influence Brain Health-related Neuroimaging Traits in Persons Without Stroke or Dementia,” in which researchers assess a person’s genetic risk of developing cardiovascular disease within the context of the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Life’s Simple 7®.
The AHA lists blood pressure, blood glucose, LDL cholesterol, exercise, diet, weight, and smoking as “Life’ Simple 7,” a set of risk factors for poor cardiovascular health. Dr. Acosta and his team demonstrate how an adverse profile of these genomic risk factors correlates with more and larger silent strokes, even in people who do not display symptoms of neurological disease.
“These findings lay the foundation for future research focused on using the Genomic Life’s Simple 7 for the early identification of high-risk persons who could benefit from early preventive and diagnostic interventions,” said Dr. Acosta about the clinical implications of these results.
Dr. Acosta’s research is supported by the Yale/AHA Bugher Center for Intracerebral Hemorrhage Research.
The other team members on this project are: Cameron Both, Cyprien Rivier, MD, MSc, Audrey Leasure, Thomas Gill, MD, Sam Payabvash, MD, Kevin N Sheth, MD and Guido J Falcone, MD.